Hulu Passes on Rescuing Brooklyn Nine-Nine [Updated]

Hulu has decided not to pick up Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The cult favorite comedy TV show was officially cancelled by FOX this week and is currently wrapping up its fifth season on the network. Fans of the series were hoping that Hulu would rescue Brooklyn Nine-Nine since it owns the domestic streaming rights, but that won't be happening.

Created by Daniel J. Goor and Michael Schur, Brooklyn Nine-Nine revolves around the shenanigans of the eccentric police officers who work in Brooklyn's 99th precinct. The series has long been lauded for its progressive outlook, lovable characters, and general sense of inclusiveness, among other things. Celebrities like Mark Hamill, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Guillermo del Toro publicly voiced their support for the show on social media, following its cancellation at FOX yesterday.

There's actually a precedent for Hulu rescuing cancelled FOX comedy series. The streaming service did just that in 2015, when it picked up The Mindy Project (which FOX canned after three seasons) and ultimately aired the show for an additional three seasons. According to TVLine, however, that won't be happening with Brooklyn Nine-Nine; Hulu has declined to pick up the show for what would be its sixth season overall.

It has also been reported that Netflix and TBS are interested in picking up Brooklyn Nine-Nine in the wake of its cancellation at FOX. Previous seasons of the show are already available through Netflix in several countries, and TBS is similarly able to air older episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine since it acquired the series' off-network rights in 2017. Unfortunately, one of TVLine's sources is cautioning that both of those options "appear unlikely".

Pending a last-minute rescue, it (sadly) seems this may well be the end of the road for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It's also far from the only series with modest ratings but a fiercely devoted fanbase to be axed this week. Fellow FOX cult comedy series The Last Man on Earth and The Mick were both canned along with Brooklyn Nine-Nine yesterday, and today FOX pulled the plug on the comic book-inspired Lucifer after three seasons. At the same time, the network has gone and revived Tim Allen's sitcom Last Man Standing in a move presumably inspired by ABC's ongoing success with its Roseanne revival.